London, April. 1: Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah are among the Premier League stars “addicted” to chess, helping to spark a surge in the game’s popularity among younger people.<\/p>\n
Manchester City striker Haaland is so fascinated by the game that he recently invested in a ground-breaking new chess tour to capitalise on the increased profile bestowed by its celebrity players.<\/p>\n
As well as Haaland, Liverpool forward Salah and England team-mates Harry Kane, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Anthony Gordon are all avid chess players.<\/p>\n
Salah is obsessed by playing the faster ‘blitz’ version of chess using an anonymous online profile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I’m addicted to chess. Every day, literally every day,” the Egyptian said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Arsenal midfielders Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze are both keen players, with the latter winning an amateur tournament in 2025.<\/p>\n
Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, a five-time world champion, is a huge football fan and the Norwegian’s love for both games has played a role in the surprise crossover.<\/p>\n
Alexander-Arnold often plays chess with his brothers and once levelled-up to face Carlsen, who defeated the Real Madrid defender in a 17-move rout that lasted just five minutes.<\/p>\n
AC Milan winger Christian Pulisic has the queen chess piece tattooed on his arm in tribute to his grandfather, who taught him the game as a child.<\/p>\n
France World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann and Real Madrid’s Dani Carvajal are also aficionados.<\/p>\n
On the surface, the contemplative, cerebral nature of chess is a stark contrast to the physicality and aggression of football.<\/p>\n
But dig deeper and there are more similarities than you would expect.<\/p>\n
“Chess is an incredible game. It sharpens your mind, and there are clear similarities to football,” Haaland said.<\/p>\n
“You have to think quickly, trust your instincts, and think several moves ahead. Strategy and planning are everything.”<\/p>\n
‘It’s remarkably similar’<\/p>\n
Backed by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), the new tour will feature four tournaments each year in different cities, with a world champion crowned across three disciplines — fast classic, rapid and blitz.<\/p>\n
Each season will have a minimum prize pool of \u00a32 million ($2.7 million).<\/p>\n
“Seeing a world-class athlete like Erling Haaland join the Total World Chess Championship Tour is a powerful signal of the global attention and cultural relevance that chess enjoys today,” FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich said.<\/p>\n
Chess has its roots in seventh century India.<\/p>\n
But those humble origins are a far cry from the technology fast-tracking the chess boom, with online apps taking over from the traditional board as the game’s most common battleground.<\/p>\n
Online play rocketed during the Covid-19 pandemic and, according to FIDE, at least 1.5 billion people now have a chess app on their phone.<\/p>\n
Netflix series “The Queen’s Gambit” and the impact of celebrity influencers, including footballers, have all contributed to the boom transforming the previously staid image of chess.<\/p>\n
The strategy involved in chess also appeals to football managers looking for a mental edge in their tactical battles on the pitch.<\/p>\n
Quoted in the book ‘Pep Confidential’, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said: “You have no idea how similar the two things are.”<\/p>\n
Avid Real Madrid fan Carlsen sees his game through the same lens as former Barcelona coach Guardiola: “In chess and football, the important thing is to control the middle. If you control the middle, you control the pitch or the board,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“In terms of space, it’s remarkably similar.”<\/p>\n
But will the satisfaction of a successful checkmate ever replace the thrill of scoring a winning goal for chess-fixated footballers?<\/p>\n
For Kane, his true love remains football, leaving chess as the perfect way to relax.<\/p>\n
“I use chess to switch off,” he said. “It’s such a mental game. You have to focus on every moment.”(AFP)<\/p>\n
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